5 Tips to Get a Job in Canada

This is one dilemma of the newcomers once landed in Canada. Looking for a “good job” is tiring for some but easy for some. It can be made a lot easier for all Canadians by using sites like LeoList where online advertisements for careers are available. You might wonder why someone has a job instantly. But you know what; it is possible to have a decent job even without Canadian Experiences yet. Of course, it still depends on your skills, educational background, and work experiences. Here are some tips or scenarios in the job market that you might like to know or consider here in Canada:

Number 1. You must know How to Market Yourself.

Assuming you have the skills and work experiences back home and you want to continue it here in Canada, in order to land to your dream job you must learn how to advertise yourself and know exactly what to include in a resume. Factors like:

Skills – Do you have the skills for the job position? Or are you willing to be trained and learn something new but can be passionate about that new thing? Emphasize it in your Cover Letter or Resume.

Educational Background – Are you eligible for the educational attainment needed? Sometimes, most immigrants are overqualified for the job position, are you willing to talk less about your accomplishments on your resume? Tailor fit your resume accordingly.

Work experiences – It does not always have to be Canadian work experiences but most importantly your Skills and Expertise are well related to the job position you are applying for. Cue Words – “well-related skills.”

Network – Build and expand your network. Referral and Recommendation are one key to finding a vacant job position.

Number 2: Sometimes, it depends on the job hunting situation in your City/Town.

If you landed in a City or Town on where there is a scarcity of workers, that’s a high chance of finding a job. The competition is less, you don’t need referrals, they just need your skills or they can even build your skills.

Sample Scenario: There is a town in British Columbia on where the business owners are appealing to the Federal Government for them to hire Foreign Workers since they couldn’t find locals who will work for them because according to them everyone is already working.

On the other hand, if you are in a City on where the job hunting competitions are high, that will be a tremendous hard work on your part on how to market yourself. But there is always a “survival job” in Canada if you need to earn while waiting and preparing for your big break. And that’s a good thing right? There is always a backup here in Canada.

Number 3: A referral or recommendation from someone is needed most of the time.

Here in Canada, not all jobs are posted in the job bank, especially in the private companies. Sometimes there are positions that they are waiting for someone to vouch for them. Assuming you have all the skills and work experiences needed for that position, if you also have a recommendation there, it is a high probability of getting an interview. But of course, you still need to be superb for that interview part.

Sample Scenario: There is a new landed immigrant with Information Technology background and his relative which happens to be his sponsor heard that his friend’s company is looking for someone who can do the IT job position. The newcomer prepared his resume; submit it to his sponsor’s friend and then his sponsor’s friend submitted it to his boss. Upon reviewing his resume which seems his skills and work experiences (not Canadian) fits the position they call him for a job interview. The newcomer, of course, does lots of preparation for the Interview to ace it. After the proper process, he got the job.

Another scenario: She’s been in Canada for a year and still looking for that Career. She was aiming for this Call Center Company and then she found a friend who is working inside. She asks if she can refer her to any job vacancies’ in the company. Then her friend told her they could try since she knows they are always hiring a call center agent. So she submitted her resume online and put her friend’s name as the referral. The boss notices the resume and verifies the friend if she really knows the person. She vouches for her but the boss said: “Unfortunately we don’t hire today but we will keep this on file in the future”. Sad scenario but still the resume was noticed because of the referral but apparently for some reasons she didn’t get the interview, it happens, so move on.

Number 4. Canadian Government is always hiring.

There are plenty of job positions in the government that you do not have to be a Canadian Citizen to apply. As long as you are legal to work here in Canada, you can try applying to the government. Some positions do not require work experiences too. But the first step is to submit your resume to the job posting you like in the government. IF they “acknowledge” your resume based on your skills and background, you will get the next steps which are very challenging for some.

Here are some typical government hiring steps:

• Submit Resume on their Job Postings
• If they acknowledge your resume they will schedule you for Written Exams.
• If you pass the written exam there will be more evaluation exams, like in the bus operator position they have the Road or driving skill Test.
• If you pass the Screening Exams they will schedule you for a Panel Interview.
• If you pass the Interview they will schedule you for Medical Exams.
• If you pass the Medical Exams, they will call your References to know that you really are a good person.
• Then you are hired! BUT you will undergo pieces of training, you will be like a student, studying the updates, trends, norms, and technology for the position. You will be screened thru exams if you are prepared and ready to be in the labor force. But there will always be an evaluation, just do your best.

Whew! That’s a lot! But no matter how hard it is, try not to quit, you are already there. Perks of being in the government are: the pay is good, job security and great benefits. When working for the government, you will also be entitled to an annually determined amount of paid time off (PTO). Some employers might even allow you to earn additional time off by exceeding targets and working overtime. Ultimately, you can learn more about how paid time off typical works by researching A guide to PTO online.

Number 5. Most Companies need your Flexible Schedule.

When randomly applying online, there will always be a question to put your schedule availability. The higher probability to notice your application is when you declare that you are available every day at any time. It will only matter in the Interview if you can commit. But the important thing is to get that Interview and ace it to get the job.

Canada is a land of opportunities. It is bestowed with economic prosperity and educational institutions that produce highly skilled professionals. The quality of life-based on excellent health care, clean air, and fresh water are all synchronized for a safe and secure environment. You might feel and think that looking for a job is harder than you thought, but compared to other countries (like the Philippines), it is guaranteed that all the hard works here really pays off.

Feel free to add more tips if you like. Sharing is a good thing to help one another, just leave it in the comment section on our FB page. Thanks!

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Disclaimer: Article and scenarios are based on the author’s first-hand experiences and observations.